The War Has Just Begun
by EvanD
Summary: One-shot! Complete. Character Deaths and Angst. One of the school founders makes an appearance in this dark ficlet about the attack of the Dark Side on the school of Hogwarts.


Author Comments: Originally I had Harry dying, but I just couldn't do that, now could I? A large thank you first to my beta Masked One! You're a life-saver! Next to a good friend of mine that days beforehand I would have done anything to avoid. This friend also happened to land a role as a mod on Mugglenet Fan fiction recently, congratulations and thank you Xopher.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it.

Warnings: Character Death, Angst

Title: The war has just begun.

Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley stood up quickly. Above all the screams, the cries of terror and the like, both shouted, "LISTEN UP! EVERYONE, TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HALL!"

Echoing Hermione, Ron bellowed, "GET OVER THERE!" People were running, and soon enough, only five people remained in the middle of the hall.

Harry Potter turned and saw classmates huddled against the back wall, some of his closer friends trying to calm the others down. He turned back and saw Voldemort standing in front of him, a large amount of followers behind him, filling the great hall to bursting point. The teachers were trying to calm the students, and Remus Lupin was trying to make his way through the crowd to join them, and wasn't having much success. Harry looked to his left. Ron, Hermione and Neville were staring at Voldemort, all waiting for the first move to be made.

"Harry Potter," Voldemort said menacingly. Raising a hand to his followers, he called, "Come to me, Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy." Harry turned to watch as Crabbe and Goyle moved out of the crowd, towards the Dark Lord, and then Malfoy followed. "Good. Good. Malfoy, draw your wand. Point it at Potter."

Harry didn't flinch as Draco did this. If Draco Malfoy was going to attempt kill him, there was a good chance the other boy would end up dead instead. Harry watched as Voldemort spoke the words. "Kill him." Draco's eyes gleamed and he opened his mouth.

"I've so longed to do this, Potter. So long have I wanted to watch this happen, and now I get to do it. It's all thanks to you. If it weren't for you, I'd never get to help defeat..." He said, turning to Voldemort. "The man who ruined my life. Inflamara!" Voldemort's robes caught fire, and Draco turned. "Crabbe! Goyle! Where've your loyalties lie for the past years? With me. Return to me, and leave him behind. Only death will come."

Voldemort had put out the fire as the other boys ignored Malfoy. "Fine, Malfoy, you'll go first. Avada Kedavra!"

Harry spoke suddenly. "STUPEFY!" He watched as the two spells met in the mid air, and an explosion resulted. "RON, HERM, SECURE THE OTHERS!" Harry cried as the light faded, and he saw Ron dragging Draco back behind Harry.

"Potter! GET POTTER!" Voldemort commanded. The whole, large mass of Death Eaters charged at him, and Voldemort merely stood, laughing darkly as this happened. Harry ran towards the door, as he heard a chorus of voices call out stunning spells. Loud thumps told him that many Death Eaters were being hit, and he continued out of the doors, still being pursued. "NO! HE'LL NOT GET AWAY!"

Harry ran down the hall toward the front doors, as he saw a green spell shoot past him, Harry knocked the doors open and ran out. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Voldemort and his Death Eaters in hot pursuit. "HARRY!" Came a voice, and he looked up to se a large, LARGE group of Aurors and most of the Order coming over a hill towards them. Stopping, he heard no spells being uttered, so he turned.

"Voldemort, you see this? The war, it has begun." Voldemort froze in front of his army of fighters, and only sneered. "Your pathetic friends can't help you. Kill them, I'll handle Potter."

Harry watched as battles erupted when the two sides clashed. He saw Bill Weasley tearing savagely into Lucius Malfoy, and saw Charley and Macnair begin to exchange various spells. "So, Potter, see this? The war is almost won." Voldemort said, grinning before raising his wand.

"Stay calm everyone! Stay calm." Dumbledore called. "Minerva, Severus, it is time for you to go and join the battle. Remus, you will help me bind the Death Eaters left behind. Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger will do the same. The rest of you are to try and calm down."

As soon as this was done, every teacher barring Professor Binns moved toward the door. "YOUR HEAD BOY AND GIRL ARE IN CHARGE! DO WHATEVER THEY SAY! I trust you Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger." With that, everyone but Remus left.

He stood for a moment surveying the crowd. "I'm not going to let Harry down," he muttered briefly, and then disappeared.

There were loud explosions, voices screaming different spells, all of them mixed together so each was indiscernible. "Hermione... I feel awful." Ron said, looking over the group of children.

"Sixth years! Come on!" Luna Lovegood suddenly called, and Ron watched as the whole of sixth year stepped out of the group.

"Seventh years!" Was Neville's cry, and Ron watched his peers step out. He let out a grin as Dean Thomas leapt into the air.

"TIME FOR A RUMBLE! C'MON! THIS IS IT! MEMBERS OF THE D.A. LEAD US ALL ON! DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY!" He called, grinning. The old D.A. came forth from the group.

A Ravenclaw fifth year who Ron didn't recognize gave out a call. "FIFTH YEARS!"

Ron Weasley grinned. "Yes!" Hermione frowned. "I'm all for it you know. Fifth years and up only... but... well. I wouldn't feel right leaving the younger ones alone..."

"No, it's not a good idea." Hermione finished. Ron Weasley looked incredulously at her as they heard the sounds of the battle outside. Suddenly, clearly Harry's voice rose from the sounds. "NEVER! I'LL NEVER QUIT!"

Ron looked around the room. "Hermione Granger. Look at this. Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins are all offering to work together here, three years worth of them. This IS a good idea."

Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Oh fine then! FOURTH YEARS! Come." They came forward from the mass shakily. "Look I want you all to keep the younger children calm. If something sounds like its gone amiss, go down to the dungeons and hide. I don't know how much help it'll be... if only you could get... but no, it'd not help. Just do this." Several fourth years spoke soft agreements, and returned to the group.

Dennis Creevey seemed to take charge. "Alright, third years and under, stay calm and be ready to move on a moments notice!" He commanded, and then turned. "Collin... be careful."

Collin Creevey stepped from the crowd of fifth years and embraced his younger brother. "No promises bro. Take care of mom and Allie if I don't come back, okay?" Dennis nodded.

"If you're all ready to go, then it is time. Let's show them that nothing, nothing can take us down," Ron called and led the group through the doors.

The sky was darkening when they arrived. Already bodies lay, Death Eater and Auror alike. Ron charged forward, drawing his wand and casting a spell on a nearby Death Eater. His prey hit the ground clutching his ribs and then grew still. "Good, STUDENTS OF HOGWARTS! SHOW THEM THAT WE'VE NOT ABANDONED HOPE! FOR HARRY, FOR DUMBLEDORE, FOR HOGWARTS, FOR OUR FAMILIES, FOR OUR FUTURES!" Ron called and moved farther into the battle. A nearby Death Eater turned and raised his wand.

"AVADA KEDAVR-"

"BOMBARDA!" Mad-Eye Moody called and the Death Eater fell to the ground clutching a large wound on his arm. "HAH!" Moody called as he turned in time to save Dean Thomas as well.

"INFLAMARA!" Ron called, setting the Death Eater- who had just attempted to attack Ginny- on fire. Ron watched in terror as his target allowed himself to be burnt to death, still shooting jinxes out at a group of Aurors. Ron listened and heard a voice reporting to someone.

"Fifth through Seventh years have joined us, they've taken the back entrance. Our forces in the forest are being aided by the centaurs and are holding well against the onslaught of Voldemort's forces. Giants are said to be coming too." The first voice said.

"Good. DUCK!" The second voice called.

A scream from the first then a sigh. "I'm good, Albus. Where is he, he needs some heartening if he is leading this battle." Suddenly Ron realized that the first voice belonged to Remus Lupin.

"Harry Potter has followed Voldemort into the forest with a small battalion."

Ron ducked a spell sent at him and plowed through the wall of Death Eaters, finding himself in front of a group of Aurors who nearly missed attacking him. "I'm from the D.A." He called, and watched as Sturgis Podmore let him through.

Ron looked at Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore and Hermione Granger. "We need to get to Harry."

Albus nodded. "Agreed. Remus, escort Ms. Granger to the forest, Mr. Weasley and I will go together behind you. AURORS, CLEAR A PATH!" The men did just that and began to blast through the cloud of Death Eaters with spells Ron had never heard of before. The first two went then Ron stood on the left side of Dumbledore and ran forward. Occasionally Ron would aim a jinx over his shoulder at a Death Eater, and Dumbledore would bellow spells for Ron to use.

"QUICK, RON: DISARM!" Ron's head shot to the left at a Death Eater who had a wand pointed at Collin Creevey.

"EXPELIARMUS!" He cried, but it was too late. As soon as one's wand flew up, another, Bellatrix Lestrange, grinned savagely and screamed. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Ron watched in horror as a green light descended upon Collin Creevey and he fell to the ground and was still. A golden medallion on a necklace tumbled out of his hand. Ron bent quickly and picked it up, eyeing it as he ran. "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"

Ron cried still running, soon the sight was out of eyeshot. As they reached the edge of the forest, they gasped. Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy emerged from it bleeding and cut. Harry's eyes went wide. "What's going on, are you all alri-"

"No time Harry. Where is Tom?"

Harry wanted to say more, but only replied, "Apparated, I think he's rejoining the Giants and Dementors."

"RIGHT! EVERYONE PUT OUT A FINGER." Dumbledore withdrew a large, brass key ring. Everyone in their immediate presence touched the Portkey. "One... two... three!" The sensation of spinning didn't affect Harry this time as he stared into Remus' eyes. Suddenly a large cheer rang out.

Harry turned to find the students of Hogwarts who had stayed behind watching them. "Good news everyone! We're winning!" Harry called. "Tom Riddle, Voldemort to you all, has called in his final wave, a wave of Dementors and Giants who've been turned against us because we've been denying them freedoms, but look, we're wining."

Ron suddenly pointed to Dennis. "Dennis, come here." Dennis Creevey came over. Ron took a deep breath and handed over the necklace. "I'm really, really sorry, Dennis." Harry said, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder, and then pulling him into a brotherly embrace.

"He probably died fighting his hardest though."

Ron nodded. "He did, I saw him. I managed to stop the first guy, but the second got him."

Suddenly Fred, George and Bill Weasley entered the hall. "Charlie and Dad are escorting some of our injured to St. Mungo's. The battle is still going strong, Dumbledore. Has anyone seen Ginny?"

Harry frowned. "No…..Not me."

Dumbledore waved his hand. "She is with the Centaurs." He said quickly. "We've got to catch up, but right now, we can't. I feel it, don't you, Ron, Hermione, and Neville? This is time. Time for the final battle."

Dean Thomas dodged left, and found himself standing back to back with Seamus Finnegan, surrounded by a group of Death Eaters. "If we're gonna die, we'll die together friend."

Seamus said, "Yes! At least that'll happen." And that was when their troubles began. The group surrounding them suddenly began to close in and spells were released. "Dean, to your knees!" He said quickly, and watched the dark skinned boy drop, causing the killing curse to slam into an unsuspecting Death Eater behind them. In the same motion he grabbed his wand and rolled out of the fall to his feet.

"EXPELLIARUMUS!" the sheer force of Dean's anger and will to survive was dulled by the chill caused by the various Dementors which inhabited their battle field, but nonetheless was enough to knock his opponents wand up so hard it broke from the sheer presser exerted on it, and to knock his opponent backwards taking three of his companions with him. Seamus took this moment to release a spell.

This was one he had seen used so many times. It was a dark spell that was nonetheless quiet legal. Grudgingly did he use it, but he did. Without speaking the words, for he knew the effect, he made a quick slashing and striking motion with his wand, shooting out a beam of blue light. It contacted the nearest Death Eater, who instantly grew to twice his normal size, Dean stared in amazement as the giant Death Eater's arms shrunk, and his wand was dropped, then in a flash of light, Lucius Malfoy imploded. His blood splattered everywhere, and Seamus watched in horror as his plan fell into place. Shaking from the enormity of the situation, he watched the infuriate Death Eaters all raise their wands in unison and begin calling out spells. Seamus reached over and grabbed Dean by the shoulder, pulling him down to the ground. Many of the spells contacted in mid air as they began to crawl toward one side of the ring, and an explosion resulted. Many Death Eaters flew different directions; some ran off, literally on fire.

Suddenly the whole battle ground, Dementors, Giants, Wizards, and Centaurs all grew quiet. A song began; a phoenix song. Fawkes flew overhead, and suddenly he was followed by a giant phoenix as large as Hogwarts itself. Dean's eyes widened, not just any giant phoenix flew over head, it was a patronus phoenix. The Dementors charged off, and Dean felt more and more life return to his body. As the last of the Dementors escaped into the woods, fighting resumed around them, but Dean and Seamus continued to watch, now forgotten by their earlier foes.

On the hill overlooking Hogwarts stood a few figures. Professor Dumbledore stood, behind him were many teachers including Remus Lupin. Harry stood a half-meter away, Ron Weasley and Hermione Grainger and Neville Longbottom stood behind him. To the other side of Harry was Draco Malfoy. A group of Aurors and other students of the school stood behind him. More and more people on the side of white were escaping to join their ranks as they marched as one, attacking and fighting away Giants.

"DEAN, SEAMUS, TO ME!" Ernie Macmillan called, from some ways away. Through a gap in his enemies, Dean spotted him.

"C'mon." They met up with Ernie only after fighting their way through a maze of Death Eaters, it didn't help that a dazed Seamus kept staring at his blood stained wand in shock. Had he really, really just killed someone? They then again charged forth into the crowd, fighting their way through to join the group of Wizards and Witches that had been growing ever closer, breaking through the crowd at a rate not imaginable.

"Oh, Dean you're alive!" Ginny Weasley said, hugging him tight.

"I'm alive alright."

Again everything grew silent. A large ring had formed in the middle of the battle field. Voldemort stood out in the middle of it. Harry growled and stepped forward. "It's time, Tom Marvolo Riddle, he who like myself is half-blood, but can't accept that you can be normal and be a muggleborn or a muggle. Its time..."

Voldemort and Harry raised their wands in symmetrical movements, and both bellowed, "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Screams echoed from the side of the white as the two death spells met in mid air, and seemed to struggle against each other, eventually forming into one large green ball of light. Harry saw the ball coming at him and focused every inch of his being on his wand pushing the spells at Voldemort. It was so like his fourth year, but the stakes were a little higher this time.

Voldemort chuckled, straining. "You'll lose, you're just like everyone else who tried to fight me, and you're too weak. Just like your father and your mudblood mother. Too weak..."

Harry growled. "I'll never let you win, I will watch you die, and I will laugh, I want you to die, every inch of my being wants you to die, Voldemort." Every emotion he had ever felt since birth, anger, love, fear, sadness, even happiness erupted from his body from his wand. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Suddenly a third pulse of energy erupted from Harry's wand, hit the first two, and the struggle ended as all three flew at Voldemort, and hit him. They surrounded him, and then closed in on him. His body fell to the ground as several spectral forms emerged from his body.

Harry cracked Voldemort's wand in half. He watched the spectral shape of a snake, of a bear, of a lion step from his body. Mice, dogs, all sorts of things came from the stiff corpse. A roar from behind Harry broke the silence as the battle reached its end, and then a voice spoke. "AVADA KEDAVRA." Harry turned to watch the spell flying at him, and stared it down. He had destroyed Voldemort, and saved the world, now it was up to them to finish the job. He had accomplished what he was meant for.

Suddenly he felt time stop around him and a series of images passed through his brain, battles upon battles, more deaths, more victories, more losses, and a tall, bushy haired, red-headed girl. Harry smiled; knowing he saw an image of what could only be a descendant of Ron and Hermione. Suddenly time restarted.

"HEAR ME WELL! THE WAR HAS JUST BEGUN!" He screamed as a great agony swept over him, and he saw his attacker's face. Peter Pettigrew laughed darkly, until all was black, and Harry saw and was no more. For Harry Potter... this was truly the end, or so it seemed.

Moments later, Peter Pettigrew was killed by a group of angry teens that had once called themselves the DA, by a group which had just lost their leader, someone who they depended on more than anything. Ron emerged from the crowd, into the ring, and kneeled beside Harry's body, oblivious to the fact that he was kneeling in sight of friend and foe. Hermione joined him. As the war restarted around them, Hermione and Ron kneeled beside their friend, tears falling. Roughly, a voice spoke. "The war has just begun, and the battle has not been won." Hermione opened her eyes in shock to see Harry's green eyes staring up at her. Harry flung aside his robes, revealing a small silver sword hanging at his waist. "I think… I think this thing… absorbed it. Oh it hurt though. It hurt…." Ron looked down in shock as the scar that had graced his friend's forehead, disappeared.

"He's still alive?" Hermione whispered clutching Harry's hand.

"Yes I am." The raven haired boy replied.

"Stay silent and act dead. We're going to carry you into the school." She commanded, and grabbed his ankles. Harry closed his eyes as he felt his friend lift him, pain shooting through him. Images went through his head. The green light, the feel of the ground before blackness overtook him, and then some images which made no sense.

_He was standing in a room of white, with a being in pure black staring down at him. Some figures slinked around in the back, and dimly now, Harry could recall them as belonging to Sirius and his parents, but then it hadn't registered. "Your time hasn't come, you poor thing. The war has just begun. They need you, and thanks to my sword, they'll have you." The figure crouched down and Harry saw a gaunt pale face, with bright green eyes and dark hair, not unlike his own._

"Sword? I've only got… Gryffindor?" The man nodded.

"Godric Gryffindor I am, and going back you are." A swirl of colors overtook Harry again, and that was it.

He kept his eyes closed as he heard Remus screaming, sobbing. "Harry, oh Harry!" Bill Weasley was screaming curses aloud, and all the time a great loud noise was growing closer. A large noise signaled the openings of the doors, and their entrance into the great hall. The reaction was immediate. Screams rang out, tears, sobs followed. Harry felt himself being laid down on a hard cold surface, and opened his eyes, sitting up in one move, causing most of the room to quiet, and gasp.

"Fear not," he said as loud as his vocal cords would go. "Voldemort is dead." Arms were around him immediately, looking up he saw it was Remus' the closest thing he had ever had to a father. The loss of his father and godfather had seen to that. "Remus, I saw him, Godric Gryffindor! He spoke to me! Told me I would return, told me that thanks to his sword, I would return. Godric's sword Remus, it saved me!" The pain which had ravished his body all at once disappeared, and he found his voice. "DO YOU ALL HEAR ME? VOLDEMORT IS DEAD! He's bloody dead!" Harry stood quickly, stumbled and landed on his butt. "VOLDEMORT IS GONE!" He repeated loudly. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione and embraced the two lovers quickly then pulled back. "We've got to get back out there, we've got to fight. They'll surrender now. Dementors will be leaving, and we'll have the upper hand by sheer numbers. The Centaurs and the Giants who're on our side, they'll far out weigh the few remaining followers of Voldemort. The war has just begun. I don't know if we'll ever see

i b center **THE END /center /b /i **


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